


Invictus (Beta Siblings AU)

by JeyWriter



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Lumity, M/M, Mystery, Protective Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27762484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeyWriter/pseuds/JeyWriter
Summary: When Camila Noceda passes away unexpectedly, it crushes Luz. Her mother was all she had. Save for her older sister, Lucía.Her mother hadn't been surprised in the least, and had already prepared for Luz to live with Lucía.Imagine Luz's surprise when she discovers her new home is the Boiling Isles. A fantasy world with everything she ever hoped was real.But it isn't all fun and games. Political power struggles, mercenary guilds, and illegal trafficking run rampant.Not to mention Lucía' s long list of enemies and rivals that appear almost weekly.As they continue to mature at a torrid pace, the journal that appeared blank begins to show its entries as the Noceda sisters battle through daily life.Their mother had as much to hide as Emperor Belos, who had taken particular interest in Lucía. And even more in the new arrival.With Emperor Belos, Camila's journal, and the powerful Blight family, the last of the Noceda Family will have their hands full.Luckily, Luz makes friends quickly. Fellow students, various merchants, and even the Blight children.Where does this mysterious web left by their mother lead? And what connection did she have to this world?
Relationships: Amity Blight & Luz Noceda & Willow Park, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & Luz Noceda
Comments: 27
Kudos: 143





	1. Prologue: This is Home

Most would agree that they hate the aura of hospitals. 

The smell of cleaning supplies radiating from every imaginable surface. The hurried pace from doctors and nurses as they rush to where they're needed. The eminating feeling of people saying goodbye to their loved ones. 

For Luz Noceda, the last was true. And she wished more than anything that it wasn't. 

Her mother had always been chronically ill. At least, as long as Luz could remember. But lately, it had been getting worse. 

Camila always waved off the concern Luz displayed, telling her not to worry. 

But collapsing in the middle of the kitchen tends to make that near impossible. 

And when the doctor informed them of the grim outlook, Camila didn't seem surprised in the least. 

As a matter of fact, she turned to her youngest daughter with a resigned smile. 

"I've already prepared for this, cariño. Lucía will be taking you to live with her."

So, her mother had already known this was a likely outcome. For Luz, she couldn't help but feel upset that her mother had hidden this from her. This wasn't just something to drop on her child that had nobody aside from her mother and sister. 

And said sister was a strange case. Luz and Lucía didn't have a bad relationship, per se. They had always loved each other, to the point that Lucía had often threatened or assaulted the students that dared to bully Luz. It was a loving relationship, more compassionate than most. But it was strained as of late. 

Lucía had disappeared for an extended stretch of time several years ago. She was never not a fighter, but it seemed so amplified after she had finally returned. It also wasn't uncommon for her to repeat the performance. 

If anything, they became more common. 

And every time Luz had asked, Lucía had brushed her questions off. 

"You'll get to know when you're older."

What did that even mean? 

Her disappearances became more frequent over time, until she dropped out of school and moved away. 

Lucía would visit once a month, sometimes every other month. She often brought strange items as gifts for them. Occult in nature, from just a passing glance. 

The elder sibling had also obtained abnormal tattoos on her wrists. They each almost looked like spell-casting runes. 

Luz was beyond curious to learn about them, but her questions to those gained more of the same response. 

Lucía became unusually reserved and mysterious, which put tension on the sibling bond. She wasn't previously this secretive and noncommittal. 

It had been almost four months since Lucía had visited last, the longest stretch thus far. 

And now, Luz was going to be moving in with her. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When the elder sibling had arrived, her mother pulled her into a tender hug. 

Lucía looked mostly the same. Much taller than both her mother and sister. Long, dark-brown hair tucked mostly underneath her red beanie, save for bundles hanging out on either side. 

Her trademark shirt of magenta and white stripes being in contrast to her dark-green jacket and black skinny jeans.

The elder sister held a grim expression.

Camila had asked Luz to leave the room for a bit, so she and Lucía could discuss certain things about the coming living arrangements.

So she did. 

The youngest Noceda found herself a floor down, inserting a dollar into the drink machine. 

As she retrieved her newly aquired juice, her mind began to wander. 

'Why didn't mom tell me it was this bad? Why did it take Lucía so long to get here? Does she want to even take me in?'

She paused, feeling her eyes on the precipice of tears. 

'Why is this happening?' 

Without another soul within eyesight, she began to cry. 

Crying became sobbing. 

She haphazardly dragged herself to a nearby chair, collapsing into it.

What was she going to do without her mom? Was Lucía really okay with taking the role of a parent? Would she ever be honest with her? 

The uncertainty ate away at Luz as she cried. She couldn't have been sure how long it lasted, but the constant ticking of the clock indicated it had been some time.

When she finally stopped crying, it wasn't because she got a handle back on her emotions. 

It was because she felt empty. Hollow. Done with everything. The flamboyant optimism couldn't resurface. Not right now. 

Silence rang as she pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her head into them. The incessant ticking of the clock became the only thing she was aware of. 

Until she felt a gentle grasp on her right shoulder. 

Looking up, she saw the devastated yet loving face of Lucía. 

Her elder sister hadn't looked at her like that in any of her recent memories. Tears silently streamed down, almost in sync with the younger sibling. 

For the first time in far too long, Lucía was truly looking at her. 

She gingerly wrapped Luz into a hug. 

"I'm sorry, baby sister. I'm so sorry. I do love you. Always have, always will. We'll get through this together." 

The tears returned with vigor, as the two embraced. Slowly, they could feel their bond mending. It wasn't healed, not by a long shot. 

But the undeniable sense of love couldn't have been ignored. 

They would never be truly alright, but they were going to get through this together. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Camila's passing was as peaceful as possible. Both her daughters were present, handling it far worse than she was. 

"Oh, my girls... I'm sorry I won't be able to see you grow up anymore. But you've already made me so proud." 

Luz wrapped her arms around her mother, the sobbing once again returning. 

While rubbing her youngest daughter's back, she handed what appeared to be a journal to Lucía. 

There was a note on it:

"Read me when you're home."

Camila made the motion to shush her, and Lucía silently slid it into her backpack. 

Slowly, the trio began to reminisce on when they were always together. The time Lucía bullied the bullies picking on her little sister. The time Luz accidentally lit the stove on fire. 

They talked like everything was normal. For as long as they could, at least. 

Camila closed her eyes. 

Luz and Lucía were talking, unaware to how short their time together had ran. That was, until the monitor started to beep. 

Slowly. Slowly... Slower.. Slower...

An alarm suddenly rang out, and Luz instantly reached over, shaking her mother's shoulder. 

"Mom? Mami!?" 

Lucía grit her teeth, determined to remain the strong one for her sister. 

She roughly pulled Luz away, just as the hospital staff rushed in. 

Luz tried to fight free from her sister's grip as she was dragged from the room. But Lucía was deceptively strong. 

The elder sister held on tight, "Luz... Stop. Please, just stop."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The funeral service was small. 

Luz, Lucía, and a few of their mother's co-workers. 

Camila requested it as such. 

Luz was despondent the entire time, just vaguely aware of her sister grasping her shoulders and sometimes her wrist. 

Far too soon, their mother's casket was lowered. 

Luz couldn't cry, she just didn't have any tears left. Lucía remained as strong as she could, but a few tears would escape several times. 

The younger sister barely realized what was happening, until they were back home. 

She tiredly followed Lucía as the door was unlocked. 

The moment Luz stepped in, she couldn't help but think about how her mother would never greet her again when coming through that door. 

Hollow. She felt so hollow. 

Lucía frowned, gently shaking her sister's shoulder, "Go pack a backpack and suitcase. We'll leave after."

Luz nodded, slowly trudging up the stairs and into her room. 

What did she even need? 

Clothes, her phone, phone charger, a few of her posters and figurines. 

She also tucked her Azura books into the backpack. 

A knocking on the door broke her out of the trance. 

She turned to see Lucía trying to manage a smile. But it was forced, broken... Hollow. Lucía was handling this no better than her. 

But she was trying to be strong. 

Luz wrapped her in a hug before she even realized what she was doing. It was still an innate response to seeing her older sister like that. 

Lucía went rigid, before cautiously returning the hug. Luz felt a few sobs escape from her sibling.

They held each other for a moment, before Lucía broke away. 

"...Thanks. Still love ya, brat."

Lucía gently pressed her fist to Luz's cheek. Luz leaned into it slightly, before Lucía ruffled her hair. 

"Come on, kiddo. Let's blow this joint." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Luz wasn't sure where they were going, but she didn't expect a run down shack in the middle of the woods. 

Lucía strode towards it with a purpose, stopping in front of the door. 

She pulled a key from her pocket. Luz was a bit shocked to see the key had a hyper-realistic eyeball embedded into it. She would have sworn it blinked at her, but that just wasn't possible. 

Lucía turned the key in the keyhole and flung the door open in one motion. 

A blinding light came from the doorway, causing her to shut her eyes. 

She felt Lucía grasp her wrist and lead them forward. 

She felt a buzzing in her ears, and then a burst of wind. 

It just smelled different. 

"Alright, kiddo. Check it."

Luz slowly opened her eyes, and had to grab her sister for support. 

They were on a cliffside, overlooking what appeared to be a town. 

It wasn't clean, per se, but it was bustling and expansive. One building appeared to have a mouth filled with teeth for a roof. 

And the people walking about... They weren't human. The ones looking similar had pointed ears, and some had levitating items floating alongside them. 

Other citizens look like legitimate monsters. Not even slightly human. ... Was that girl's face just an eyeball? 

Lucía grabbed onto both of Luz's shoulders, a chesire grin on her face. 

"Welcome to the Boiling Isles. For me, and now you, home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coping and acceptance will also be a big part of Luz's development. But she's still innately her. 
> 
> And her perception of her mother's death and aftermath honestly mimic mine with my grandfather's passing. 
> 
> This is gonna be a long, winding web of stories, lies, and mystery. Buckle up!
> 
> Special shoutout to swiss.sides and friends on Instagram! Swiss and I discussed this project, and swiss was very supportive. Check out the beta art!


	2. Initium Novum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz doesn't react well to Lucía reveal at first. Lucía's associates are kinda sketchy. This can only end well.

The phrase "stunned silence" was something that Luz herself had said. 

But being literally stunned into silence was honestly a new experience for her. 

A world straight out of her dreams, ripe with magic and creatures of fantasy. 

The world her sister had been living in for the last several years. 

The world her sister called home. 

The world her sister had never told her about... 

The world her sister had chosen. 

The world without them. 

"Why?" 

Luz grinded out her question, voice weak as excitement and hurt jostled for the lead position. 

"Hmm?" Lucía asked, raising an eyebrow, "What was that, sis?"

Luz wanted to ask more tactfully, but her emotions got the better of her this time. 

"Why didn't you ever tell me!?" 

Lucía, for her part, only seemed caught by surprise for a moment. 

She frowned, turning back to the view, "You were too young. Not ready yet, I guess."

"Look me in the eyes, Lucía!" 

The elder sister paused, turning slightly to glance at the younger. 

This time, she was caught off guard. Lucía had expected Luz to be hurt and a bit upset. 

But the white-hot anger flashing in her baby sister's eyes didn't even factor into her preconceived scenarios. 

That was a miscalculation on her part, she had to admit. 

She went to speak again, but Luz beat her to it.

"You're telling me that you've been off prancing in this fantasy world, my kind of fantasy world, all these years!? What about me and mom!? You went off into the world of magic without a second thought, huh?" 

Lucía had to let out a bitter chuckle. 'Prancing', huh? Luz was going to learn the hard way, and that wasn't how it was supposed to go this time. She had learned the hard way, like hell her baby sister was going to have to. 

And the way Luz framed that she had just forgotten about the family really rubbed her the wrong way. 

She knew the kid was only talking out of hurt and anger, but she couldn't stop from responding in kind.

"It's not all fun and games." Lucía scowled, "You're wearing rose-tinted glasses if you believe this is going to be like your stupid Azura books. You'll learn, some things you can't just leave."

Luz grit her teeth, "You were fine with leaving us."

Lucía couldn't stop her own movements. She flung her arm to the side, driving to pin Luz up against a nearby tree. She pulled up just enough to tuck her arm around Luz's shoulders, keeping her from impacting the rough bark.

She barely registered Luz's grunt of surprise.

"Shut the fuck up!" Lucía shouted, "You really don't know anything, do you?! You think I wanted to see you guys once a month if I was lucky?!" 

She roughly pulled away from her younger sister, turning away. 

"I had... Work to do. This world isn't all fun and games. In fact, it's not even close. You'll learn that soon enough." 

Neither sibling moved as silence reigned between the two. 

Until Lucía heard the quiet sniffling coming from her baby sister. 

'Great job, Lucía. Just fucking great.'

She tried to steel herself, prepare to turn and face the hurt and scorn in Luz's eyes. The look she'd now justified. 

But she didn't get the chance. She felt Luz hug her from behind, feeling the sobs wrack her younger sister. 

Honestly, it made her feel even worse. 

Luz had a right to be upset, and her first reaction something she didn't like was to throw her against a tree. 

She had to do better. And she was going to, she demanded that of herself. Luz deserved that, at the very least.

Lucía gently gripped her little sister's hands, "I'm sorry."

The concept of time is a fickle thing. But this moment of silence from Luz seemed to feel never ending. 

As children, Lucía's hot temper had led to many an arguement between the two. But she'd never reacted so viscerally. 

Maybe her baby sister had hit closer to home than she thought. 

If Luz hadn't seemingly decided to forgive her, she couldn't have necessarily blame her. 

But Luz's nature wasn't one to hold a grudge, thankfully something she hadn't picked up from her older sister. 

"I'm sorry, Lucía. I said some mean things that weren't fair to you."

Her voice, while not strong, was steadfast. She wasn't entirely free from blame in their altercation. 

Not that Lucía would hear anything of the sort. 

"You're fine, kid. I... Probably wouldn't have reacted like that if it didn't have some truth."

Lucía gently removed Luz's hands, then turned to face her. 

A task that both invoked her regret and fear. She still didn't feel prepared to look into her sister's eyes. 

And she wasn't wrong. 

Fresh tears still visible on her sister's cheeks, coupled with the redness made her feel like she'd already failed Luz. 

What else was new? 

The underlying love was still there. That wouldn't ever change. Yet, Lucía could almost see the distance between them that she needed to start fixing. 

"I'm a pretty shitty sister, huh?"

"You're not. You still swear too much, though."

Lucía couldn't stiffle the chuckle that escaped her lips. Luz was still Luz. Probably always would be. 

"Now that, I can't fix." 

There was a pause. The words weren't coming easy. But rarely did Lucía need them to. Situations Lucía found herself in didn't usually leave room for conversation.

"Look, Luz." She gently tipped her younger sister's chin up so she could look her in the eyes, "We're both sad as fuck all. But I'm your older sister. Hell, I'm the adult here, scary as that is. And I need to accept that I basically did ditch my family for years."

"No, you still-"

"Let me finish, hermanita." 

Luz anxiously bit her lip, earning a sad smile from Lucía.

"You weren't wrong. I would leave for months at a time. I didn't know how bad Mom had gotten. I never told you where I went or what I was doing. And that is on me. You and I used to be so close, and I ruined that..." 

Luz didn't speak for a moment. She looked down, taking on her adorably serious expression. 

It was one she'd commonly take when thinking deeply. Their mother used to point it out occasionally, much to the protests of the youngest Noceda.

Lucía couldn't help but smile fondly. She loved her baby sister, and just hoped that she could do this whole 'sister-slash-guardian" thing right. 

Lucía was pulled from her musing when Luz finally spoke.

"Lucía, I don't really think you'd just abandon us like that. But it really felt like that. You were always there when I was sad or depressed. And suddenly, you weren't. I know you got older, and needed to do your own thing. And now I know you were literally in a different world. I just wasn't a part of it."

That last part stung Lucía sharply. There had to have been a better solution than the one she'd chosen. Maybe she could've shown Luz the Boiling Isles sooner. Maybe she could've given more than just vague non-answers. Maybe she could've let her sister into her world. 

Lucía quickly brushed the last one off. Luz would be a part of the Isles, but she sure wasn't going to be in Lucía's world. She was too pure and kind for that.

"Well," Lucía smiled, clasping her hands onto Luz's shoulders, "You're here now. And I'm gonna do everything I can to guide you through this shit show that life is."

"Language." Luz chided, "But okay. I've decided!"

"What exactly did you decide?"

"That I'm gonna try and have us be close again!" 

Lucía blinked in surprise. She honestly should be used to the unique way her baby sister thought by now.

Still, she couldn't stem the laugh from bubbling up her throat. This, of course, caused Luz to send her a pout of the adorable level of the 'thinking face'.

Naturally, Lucía doubled over in laughter. Luz was going to be annoyed anyway, she might as well get her money's worth. 

"Lucía! I'm being serious!" 

For her part, the older sister tried to suppress her laughter. It did not work. 

At least, not until Luz gasped. 

"You're crying, too..."

Lucía, hearing this, managed to get her laughing to cease as she ran a finger under her eye.

Sure enough, the dampness sat upon her digit. She really was crying. But this wasn't like her other recent instances of crying. This was okay. 

After all, they were tears of happiness. 

"I'm fine, brat." Lucía said with a grin as she rubbed her eyes, "They're happy tears this time. So fucking happy."

They truly were. Lucía hadn't expected to be able to get Luz to forgive her anytime in the near future, let alone within ten minutes in the world new to her baby sister. 

The bond wasn't anywhere near repaired, neither were foolish enough to believe that.

But it was a monumental start.

Lucía quickly shook her head, before grinning, "It's not gonna be that easy, you know. Trust isn't something that just pops back in. You must've spent too much time writing fanfics."

"How would you know? You won't read any of them." Luz shot back, before blinking, "Wait, no. It's not funny! I really do want us to be close again!" 

Lucía quickly ruffled her baby sister's hair, "I know, brat. Means a lot to me, actually." 

She grinned at Luz, before taking a few steps into the forest. 

"Come on, we've gotta get to our new home. And have you meet the weirdos."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The forests of the Boiling Isles were different than the ones back home. The creatures that peaked around the trees were horrifically reminiscent of the monsters from stories of home. 

Yet, Lucía wasn't bothered. Occasionally, she would hover her right hand over the tattoo on the left wrist. Luz caught a few of the creatures retreating when her older sister would make that motion. 

It was almost as if the beasts of this world both recognized and feared her. The younger Latina made a note to ask about that later. 

She also tried to stop and get a closer look at the strange plant life, only for Lucía to pull her back. 

"Don't touch those, you'll die. Probably." 

Well, that sure was reassuring. 

It was roughly twenty minutes into their walk, that Lucía roughly stopped them. 

Luz saw a flash come from her Lucía's wrist before the elder Noceda threw her to the ground. 

As she tried to shake off the shock and pain from the impact, she quickly shot a look up at her sister. 

Seemingly out of thin air, Lucía was holding her wooden cricket bat in a swinging position. 

It's proud coat of dark red paint had long been chipped down at varying spots. It showed signs of heavy use, dents and scratches adorning it. 

While not originally equiped with a grip, Lucía had wrapped medical tape around the handle to reduce impact. The white of said tape had became discolored ages ago, now faded red and yellow dyed the add-on.

Luz remembered that weapon. 

Lucía had commonly called it an 'equalizer', and had often come home with it owning new scratches and impact craters. 

She wasn't nearly as fond of it as her sister was. 

While they could only speculate, their mother always kept a close eye on the new markings. Luz was fairly certain it wasn't anything savory. 

Her musing was interrupted, as a massive vine, as thick as her older sister's body rose high above the treetops. It writhed as though alive in more than the fauna sense, wicked thorns coating its length. 

Without another motion, it crashed down directly at the older Noceda. 

"Lucía!" Luz shouted in warning. 

But Lucía didn't react with panic or concern. Instead, she widened her stance and held the bat high above the shoulder it had found itself resting on. 

It was in that moment that Luz noticed the papers stuck onto the cricket bat's barrel. A strange symbol sat upon each one. 

Lucía scowled as the vine descended on her. She waited until it was a mere two meters from her person. 

The scowl transformed into a manic grin as she swung through. 

From the clashing impact, a firely blast erupted from the papers. 

The vine recoiled away, before quickly retracting back into the dark parts of the forest. 

Wicked burns and a still blazing crater had heavily damaged the offending plant. The angry wounds had clearly been enough to dissuade it. A second swing would've likely ripped it in two. 

That series of actions left a great cognitive dissonance resounding in Luz's head. Her sister had just done magic. Lucía had just done magic. Or at least, something similar to magic. What else could explain the explosion of fire springing from the bat?

Lucía said nothing, before holding her head high.

"Show yourself, Wionna!" 

Luz looked confusedly to her sister, only to hear a confident, borderline arrogant chuckle resound around them. 

"So terrifying, Lucía."

From the direction vine had retreated, stepped a woman that left Luz feeling uneasy. 

This woman had short, spikey hair with turqoise tone that framed her face. A light-brown trenchcoat ran down to her knees as black pants and a black turtleneck peaked from underneath it. 

Glasses with exponetially large lenses flashed as she stepped, occasionally obscuring the view of her glinting green eyes. 

To say this woman felt like a mafia boss would be greatly underselling the feeling of danger that sprung forward. 

Before Luz could bring herself to move, the newcomer strode forward, standing mere feet from her sister. 

It was then she noticed this woman's ears... Pointed. This person certainly wasn't human. As far as she could guess, anyway. 

Lucía and this Wionna were locked into a staring contest. Lucía hadn't lost her scowl, while the mocking smirk of Wionna had intensified.

The unsettling individual finally broke eye contact, reaching into her pocket. 

Luz felt herself tense at this motion. But she found herself surprised. Of all the things she could imagine Wionna would produce, a pack of red cigarettes and a lighter weren't on the list. 

She casually pulled one from the pack and stuck it in her mouth. The cigarette found itself resting between her lips, being lit. 

Wionna took a long pull, before tucking the lighter inside the pack and tossing it to Lucía. 

The elder Noceda caught it, frowning as she pulled one from the pack, liting it as Wionna had. 

Finally, Lucía spoke. 

"You really stole my fucking cigarettes? Dammit, Wionna! I have to go to the human world to get these!" 

Luz found herself... Not terribly surprised Lucía knew this woman. The intense first strike, the overwhelming self-assuredness, and finding amusement in the situation... Not the mention the smoking. Yup, definitely Lucía's kind of people. 

Wionna grinned in response, this one more relaxed. 

"You had a whole carton. Should've never turned me onto these if you wanted them to yourself." 

"That... I might give you. Still might kick your ass. Why did you decide to attack with my baby sister here? If she got hurt, you'd be dead right now." 

Wionna blinked, before looking to the younger Noceda she'd barely cared to notice. 

Luz retreated into herself nervously. To her surprise, Wionna's eyes softened slightly. 

"Apologies, mini-Lucía."

"Mini-Luciá?" 

"She ain't my mini-me."

Wionna chuckled, "She certainly reminds me of you when you first arrived here. The tentative but excited look must me a family trait."

"Enough stalling." Lucía scowled, "You better have a good reason why you came at me like that."

Wionna grinned, "You're trying so hard to pretend you didn't feel welcomed back. There was enough space where even if I crushed you, which wouldn't have happened, she'd have been perfectly safe."

Lucía's glare could've cut through steel beams in that moment. 

She took an aggressive step forward, putting them nearly nose-to-nose. 

Their eyes locked, and neither budged an inch. Luz couldn't help but think it reminiscent of two top carnivores sizing each other up. She began to feel concerned that fighting could break out at any moment. 

Lucía glanced over to Luz, before sighing. 

"Think you broke my baby sister, too. I didn't have a chance to explain glyphs yet, you fucking bitch."

"Oops." Wionna grinned, clearly not at all put off, "Then you should probably do the 'adulting' thing and teach her. Go on, now."

The staredown seemed to last forever, before Lucía cracked an amused smile. 

The two quickly clasped hands and brought each other into a hug, much to Luz's surprise. 

Lucía laughed in amusement, all hostility gone, "I missed you, crazy bitch." 

"Likewise." Wionna grinned, before becoming solemn, "My condolences on your mother." 

Lucía's smile fell. While the sentiment was appreciated, she'd been able to push that to the back of her mind. But now, it was back in the forefront of her mind. So much putting off dealing with it.

The elder Noceda frowned, clearly trying to find the right words to respond with. After a while, she settled for less as more.

"...Thanks."

"Yeah." Wionna nodded in response, before looking back to Luz, "How about you? Are you surviving?"

And just like that, gone was the youth's enthusiasm. Since they'd arrived, for just that short while, Luz had been able to lose herself for a moment. 

But that question, well-intentioned as it was, brought the world crashing back down. Her mother had just passed, and the wounds were still bleeding. 

But there was no need for her to admit that right now. 

"I'm... I'm okay."

The words came out broken and weak. That lie wouldn't have fooled the most gullible creature in existence.

Thankfully, Wionna decided to let it go. Lucía frowned, but also chose not to comment. 

An uncomfortable silence fell other the trio. There wasn't really a way to play off the awkward silence. 

Lucía let it sit, before striding past the both of them. 

Wionna and Luz cautioned a glance to each other before falling in line and following.

The youngest couldn't bring herself to ask about the supposed magic, all of her enthusiasm was no longer dying to escape. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The rest of the walk seemed to stretch on and on. Time must have decided to be exceptionally fickle today. 

Not much was said between the three, save for an off-hand comment here or there. And an occasional warning from Lucía about watching their steps. 

Honestly, Lucía seemed to be moving on autopilot. It concerned Luz a bit. But Lucía wasn't one for easily talking about feelings that weren't anger. Luz would have to ask when they were alone. 

In the midst of her brainstorming, she was brought to a halt as Lucía casually raised a fist. 

She realized they'd been led to a small clearing. And within said clearing were two things of note. 

The first was a house oddly placed in the center as a decaying tower sat to the side, gazing over the entirety of the clearing. 

It sat, nearly innocuous amongst the trees. Comprised of white brick with a sloping roof of blue, it appeared like the houses she was used to. Despite the stained glass window that gave the impression of an eye, it appeared normal...

Until you looked at the door. 

What Luz could only describe as a tube with the face of an owl stretched out, face battered as it lay upon the uncaring ground. Almost cartoonish, the mildly horrifically creature sported a screaming black eye. 

But it was the second thing catching their eyes that really set Luz on edge. 

Resting her foot triumphantly on the creature's tubular body, a young woman casually stared off. 

Her hair extended down to her mid back, proud and with the body akin to a lion's mane. It shone in vibrant aquamarine, save for her noticeable brown roots. 

Porcelain skin, without the compromise of any blemishes was a true contrast when looking at her golden eyes. 

She wore a gritted scowl, nose wrinkled in irritation. Luz found herself staring at what appeared to be true fangs when looked at after the aggressive expression. 

Much like Wionna, she had ears ending in points. 

Unlike Wionna, this woman wore a pink jumper, long stockings of black running up underneath. 

She also had a black fishnet sleeve running the length of her right arm. Continuing the black theme, small circular earings were pierced in her lobes, contrasting the golden helix piercings. 

Luz couldn't help but look upon her with awe. 'Cool' seemed like an understatement. No, this woman radiated an almost untouchable aura. 

"Oh, fuck." Lucía whispered, snapping her younger sister out of the trance, "Amelia... Goddammit." 

Wionna chuckled, "It makes sense you didn't have time to tell everyone where you went... But since you didn't tell her, I decided not to either." 

Wionna had always been the type to screw with anyone at any time. This had often led to fights and the elder Noceda having to execute frantic damage control. 

But she felt justified in thinking this just wasn't fair. 

If looks could kill, Lucía would be guilty of a homicide. But she didn't really have time to act on that, even if she wanted. 

This woman, Amelia, snapped her head in their direction. 

In an instant, her expression changed from irritation to pure aggression. 

"Noceda..." She growled, loud enough for all to hear despite the hundred feet of distance between them. 

In an instant, she raised both hands, palms pointed directly at the unlucky Latina. 

Luz was already concerned for Lucía... But when flames engulfed this woman's hands, blazing like hellfire, she couldn't help but take several healthy strides to the side. 

Wionna laughed in a mocking manner as she mimicked Luz's movement to create space. 

Lucía quickly tapped her right wrist, directly upon the tattoo. 

What followed answered Luz's question of where Lucía was carrying her weapons... And created about a thousand more. 

It glowed with sparks of blue as a steel handle for another bat peaked from a pulsating ball of luminescence. She quickly gripped it, dragging a metal baseball bat from within in a slashing motion. 

Once again, Luz was stunned by her elder sister's display of what could only be considered magic... 

... And fairly concerned that said sister felt the need to draw a weapon even more durable than her standard choice. 

Lucía, for her part, could summarize her feelings on the situation in a single word. 

"Fuck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot tell you how grateful I am thar swiss.sides on Instagram, the creator of this AU, is always willing to answer my questions about the motivations and attitudes of these characters. 
> 
> I meant to update this ages ago, but with my employment at a factory that runs seven days a week, I haven't had much time for writing. 
> 
> I'm on layoff all of next week, so I'm hoping to add the next update far quicker.
> 
> Also, Happy Holidays!


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